Hydraulic Fracturing in Enhanced Geothermal Systems—Field, Tectonic and Rock Mechanics Conditions—A Review

Rafał Moska, Krzysztof Labus and Piotr Kasza
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Rafał Moska: Oil and Gas Institute—National Research Institute, 25A Lubicz Str., 31-503 Krakow, Poland
Krzysztof Labus: Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation, Silesian University of Technology, 2 Akademicka Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Piotr Kasza: Oil and Gas Institute—National Research Institute, 25A Lubicz Str., 31-503 Krakow, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-24

Abstract: Hydraulic fracturing (HF) is a well-known stimulation method used to increase production from conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. In recent years, HF has been widely used in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). HF in EGS is used to create a geothermal collector in impermeable or poor-permeable hot rocks (HDR) at a depth formation. Artificially created fracture network in the collector allows for force the flow of technological fluid in a loop between at least two wells (injector and producer). Fluid heats up in the collector, then is pumped to the surface. Thermal energy is used to drive turbines generating electricity. This paper is a compilation of selected data from 10 major world’s EGS projects and provides an overview of the basic elements needed to design HF. Authors were focused on two types of data: geological, i.e., stratigraphy, lithology, target zone deposition depth and temperature; geophysical, i.e., the tectonic regime at the site, magnitudes of the principal stresses, elastic parameters of rocks and the seismic velocities. For each of the EGS areas, the scope of work related to HF processes was briefly presented. The most important HF parameters are cited, i.e., fracturing pressure, pumping rate and used fracking fluids and proppants. In a few cases, the dimensions of the modeled or created hydraulic fractures are also provided. Additionally, the current state of the conceptual work of EGS projects in Poland is also briefly presented.

Keywords: enhanced geothermal systems; EGS; hot dry rock; HDR; hydraulic fracturing; rock mechanics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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